The jury awarded The Last Performance the Grand Prix based on the strength of the idea, its use of levity, and its execution, Routhier explained. While there’s a lot of talk in our industry about purpose-driven work, she said, ‘we would actually argue that this piece of work is bringing our industry back to its [roots], which is about celebrating the purity of a really simple, good idea, well done, in a way that makes us all jealous as hell.’ It’s not often you see insurance represented in this way – or at all – so that was refreshing, she added.
Routhier also noted the high level of craft of this year’s entries and celebrated Nigeria’s first Lion, as well as Belgium and Porto Rico’s first Health and Wellness Lions. ‘It was incredible to see the diversity of work that was in the mix,’ she said. From pharma products to makeup, the category encompasses all mediums and channels, making choosing a winner ‘an exhausting process’, Routhier added.
Publicis Groupe’s Working with Cancer pledge won this year’s Health Grand Prix for Good. The initiative is a cross-industry coalition, supported by organisations including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Macmillan Cancer Support, that aims to erase the stigma of cancer in the workplace.
And in the Pharma category, Brazilian pharmaceutical corporation Eurofarma scooped the top prize for Scrolling Therapy – a campaign by Dentsu Creative in Buenos Aires, São Paulo and New York that enables people with Parkinson’s to navigate their social media feeds using facial expressions. According to the agency, the campaign launched in 10 countries and garnered over 1 billion earned media impressions, and the tool has an engagement rate of 88%.
‘In the past 10 years, the calibre and quality of the work has been improving because more and more clients from the health spaces are being exposed to world-class creativity and craft,’ commented Pharma jury president Josh Prince (CEO, Professional Group, Omnicom Health Group, Global). ‘The impact of that is inspiring clients to think about the kind of work that can communicate with people effectively,’ he said, crediting Cannes Lions. ‘This is a festival of the power of human creativity to change and affect lives – seeing it for what it is is helping drive the ambition and creativity in this space.’
